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Peeves floats along as you make your way onto Caliente Trail, the fastest way up Mt. Ceniza. Ash coats the path thickly, making the walk up the mountain difficult in some places. You try your best to watch your step as you go along, conversing with Peeves to pass time. At the mention of Liliana, the ghost Pokémon blushes slightly—as much as a ghost can blush—and tries his best to change the subject. You let the matter drop and continue to pay attention to your footing on the trail. Stories have circulated in the past few years telling many travelers the danger of rushing up this particular path. Many hikers have fallen to their deaths; you know it’s better to be safe than sorry.

After five minutes of walking, the trail opens up around a bend, giving you a sense of vertigo at how high up you are. The path stretches five feet away from the mountain wall, then drops away to the valley below. Cautiously continuing, you edge around the open cliff, staying as far from the edge as possible. Peeves floats ahead and encourages you to take your time, but stops mid-sentence suddenly when a bark fills the air. The distressed yelp seems to be coming from up ahead! Turning, Peeves rushes down the path to find a Houndour suspended on a tree branch growing out from the cliff, paralyzed by fear. “Keith, hurry! There a Pokémon in trouble!” he calls. Spurred on by adrenaline, you run down the path. The little Houndour barks again in fear; the tree branch begins to sway slightly from a sudden breeze. Your mind races for a way to help the poor Pokémon without falling yourself. For some reason you feel like there’s a simple solution…

What will do now?

"Oh, damn!" Keith muttered upon spotting the helpless Houndour suspended over the edge of the cliff by the tree branch. "Peeves, what are we gonna do?"

"I no know," answered Peeves. "But we has do something! I no think that branch hold much longer.

"Wait a minute," Keith said suddenly. "Peeves, I know it's a Dark-type, but do you think you can use Psychic to lift the Houndour over here? I mean, you won't technically be attacking it, so its immunity to Psychic moves shouldn't really come into play here, right?"

"It make sense," conceded the Duskull. "I think it worth try, but we should have backup plan just in case."

"That'll be Hedwig," replied Keith, holding up a Poké Ball, which contained his Crobat. "She can fly out and carry the Houndour to safety if your Psychic doesn't work."

"OK, here go nothing," said Peeves as he turned to face the Houndour and focused, ready to try and lift it with Psychic. Keith, confident in his Duskull's abilities though he was, nonetheless held his Crobat's Poké Ball at the ready, should the initial plan fail.

Droplets of water shatter through the air as you dive into the crystal clear depths of Lake Tyr. The sapphire liquid is quite relaxing and rejuvenating; you sigh in relief as the warm water relieves your tense muscles. Surfacing, you notice Jitterz standing in the tide pool near the edge of the main lake, toeing the water uncertainly. “Are you ‘shore’ you don’t want to get in?” you ask, swimming over. The pun is lost on the little Joltik as he quickly conveys his doubtful thoughts on the matter, and, sighing in disappointment, you turn your back on the bug Pokémon, resuming your earlier activities. As you’re swimming along, you voice aloud how happy you are with the lake, thanking the townspeople for being right in stating that the waters are very soothing.

Lost in thought, you begin to sink ever lower in the water; the next thing you know, you’re completely submerged, reliving in your mind the events that brought you to the lake. You open your mouth to voice your pleasure once again, only to realize a second too late that you’re still underwater! Water flows into your lungs, and you choke and cough, kicking up towards the surface of the lake. Laughing fills your ears as you emerge from the water. You turn towards the shore to find Jitterz cackling at your little accident, rolling around the tide pool in his mirth. Splashing him playfully, you step out of the water and begin to dry off.

Pop! BOOM! A resounding explosion catches your attention a few minutes later; you look up to find the resort situated on the opposite side of the lake lit up by what looks to be… fireworks! In all of the excitement, you neglected to realize the sun setting over the horizon. Jitterz jumps up in down and excitement, awed by the strange colors lighting up the night sky. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

You glance down at Jitterz to answer, only to realize that he hadn’t asked the question! Startled, you glance to the right and find yourself face to face with… a woman. Flowing dark locks crown her head, framing a heart-shaped face. A red pendant hangs around her neck; it seems to be glowing slightly. Confusion flits through your head as you wonder how this woman could have snuck up upon you. Noticing your surprise, she nods understandably and begins to wade through the surf. “Come. Quickly, quickly!” she shouts.

Questioning your sanity, you comply to her command, then stop hesitantly. You don’t know this woman after all; she could be dangerous. Heedless to your hesitation, she continues to walk through the lake until the water is up to her shoulders, finally submerging completely a second later. A minute passes… She still has not resurfaced, and you begin to worry about the woman’s wellbeing despite her strange behavior…

What will you do now?

Brier watched, still confused, as the woman walked past, submerging herself in the water. "When and more importantly where did she come from? Jitterz, you were here; what did you see?"

*Huff, Huff* "I wouldn't know, I was to buzy laughing to notice," buzzed Jitterz while atomizing the water clinging to his chitin fur with a quick Thunder Wave. "Nothing like frezhly dried fur; it'z sso warm, but back on topic why did sshe ask you to come quickly?"

"I haven't the foggiest." The seconds ticked past and after a minute had elapsed Brier grew worried, "Where is she and is she alright, even for her?" Realizing something could be a amis, a plan quickly sprung into his mind, " Jitterz latch a String Shot on to the tree I was swinging from and hold on."

Knowing what was on Brier's mind, Jitterz had already placed the string before the sentence was out. "Already on itzzz. Now let'z go in there after her."

Swinging from the tree with partner on back; Brier flew out, diving in the direction taken by the Woman.

\)"*Swoosh*"(/ "With the water so clear and Jitterz EYES finding her should be as easy as it was for her to sneak-up on us." Brier planned in his head as to not repeat his earlier mistake.

The sun shines down brightly as you finally arrive at your destination: Pele’s Cavern. You’ve heard rumors about this mysterious cave in the side of the mountain, and have, of course, heard the legend about Pele herself. Mystery and wonder is sure to find you here, and it’s for this reason that you have come to investigate. No one has ever dared set foot in this sacred ground… until now. To scope out the situation, you attach your Pokédex to your Magnemite, Theta, which will deliver a live feed to your laptop while your Pokémon explore the cavern. Pulling out the Poké Ball of your newest teammate, Phi, you hope and pray that he will be able to hold his own if the time comes.

Reassuring yourself that they would be fine in the cavern by themselves, you do a final check of the video feed, and then send Echo and Theta into the cave’s depths. At first, all you see is darkness as they walk through the first stretch of the tunnel. Theta shoots off a zap of electric energy which lights up their surroundings briefly. Through the laptop, however, you can see that the walls appear to be made out of black stone that absorb light, for the electric wave is redirected into the rock. Trying not to panic, you watch as the temperature gauge begins to rise slowly. At the five minute mark, light begins to seep down the tunnel from an opening up ahead. You sigh in relief, but your reprieve doesn’t last for long. Echo and Theta step through the opening and into a cave full of magma pits. The liquid fire is the source of the light, throwing long shadows up onto the far wall. A small orb lies on a pedestal in the center of the room, drawing your attention; and beyond it, on the opposite wall, you see a statue of a woman. She appears to be holding her hands forward as if waiting to receive something. An inscription on the wall hangs above the statue's head. Here and there, some words are illegible:

“The orb of ____ must be lit,
Bathe it, bathe it in the fiery ____.
To ________ forward, past this room
Quickly pass on the ___ to escape your doom.”

What will you do now?

Alex took a seat outside the entrance to the cavern transfixed on the screen of his laptop. From the camera he could see Echo floating in front of the lens and some stray sparks from Theta lighting up the area suddenly get sucked into the pitch black walls. That certain wasn't normal. Still, even without anything lighting their way the twin steel types could still continue on. With his Magnemite's ability to detect iron for its electromagnetic levetation and his Bronzor's psychic abilities would prevent them from running into any walls. With even the short distance into the cave they have explored the temperature had already risen five degrees.

Soon enough he could see light up ahead which his pokemon went towards. They soon came to an open cavern with its floor covered with pools of lava which casted a red-orange glow over the cave. But the main things that the cavern had was a small sphere on some sort of platform and a statue of a woman on the back wall. The woman had her arms cupped as if to receive something and there was a plaque above her head. After telling Theta to move in closer, he read what was written.

"'The orb of' something 'must be lit.'" Well it was obviously talking about sphere in the center of the room. It must have been there for something. What it was an orb of wasn't that important but it had to be lit.
"'Bathe it, bathe it in the fiery-'." Well the fiery thing must be the lava. That must be how the orb would be lit. Taking anything for a dip in molten rock would make it heat up and glow.
"'To' something 'forward, past this room.'" To go or any other word that would fit there. This place looked like this place going to be an Arceus damned puzzle. Hopefully it would be well worth it.
"'Quickly pass on the' something 'to excape your doom.'" Of course it wouldn't be a creepy cavern without a death threat. He was perfectly safe from any danger that the cave might have but Theta and Echo would be wide open. At least his pokemon didn't have to worry about accidentally falling into any lava. As for the missing word it had to be the orb. What else could they pass on? And they probably have to give it to the statue. Why else would it have its arms outstretched? It was time to come up with a game plan.

"Theta, I want you to see if you can move that orb with your magnetic powers. If you can, take it over to the closest pool of lava and dip it in. Then without touching it, put it in the hands of the statue. If you can't move it, then Echo try using your Confusion to do it. Be careful guys, keep a lookout for anything dangerous." With that, he hoped the plan would work.

Floating serenely in the middle of the ocean, Cortoza is a secluded land mass which was once a beautiful and highly populated tropical island. Two hundred years ago a powerful oceanic earthquake resulted in a chain reaction of death and destruction as Cortoza's active volcanic mountains erupted in a series of cataclysmic explosions that churned out a spectacular display of ash, rock, and molten lava, and finally ending with Mt Fumi's stupendous paroxysmal eruption. All of Cortoza's vegetation was destroyed, while humans and Pokémon not fast enough to flee perished in the resulting destruction as the western end of the island collapsed beneath the sea, generating a series of devastating pyroclastic flows and immense tsunamis that ravaged adjacent coastlines. The events of that day marked the last 24 hours on earth for over 50,000 people and 300,000 Pokémon, as the wave of destruction flowed across hundreds of coastal villages and towns. For the next hundred years nobody dared approach the island due to the constant seismic activity and mini eruptions, but for the past several decades all has been quiet. Pokémon have returned, and with very few people drawn to the volcanic island, wildlife has been given the chance to thrive. Although wary, people are also beginning to venture to Cortoza again, some of the more opportunistic seeing this land as their chance to strike it rich due to its fast-booming tourism industry. Most are curious though, as the island has shown amazing regenerative qualities, and many are eager to explore and to witness the miraculous regrowth for themselves. The tropical jungle is flourishing once more, Pokémon have returned, and as far as everyone is aware most of Cortoza's volcanoes have been laying dormant for almost one hundred years.

Mt. Ceniza

Always grey, Mt. Ceniza is constantly coated in a thin layer of ash. An active volcano, she doesn't appear to be on the verge of eruption - not any time soon, anyway - but her constant rumbling can be felt by those who travel near. This mountain has become a tourist attraction, particularly for those interested in collecting ash, though the tremors felt do tend to keep the more nervous travellers away.

Areas:Cinder Village: A small village at the base of Mt. Ceniza built around a murky hot spring. Its inhabitants believe the ash filled water will cure any ailment for human and Pokémon alike.

The centered sun overhead no longer bothered Frinth on his path. It was simply blocked as he cast a shadow onto the cobbled walkway. He had ten pokeballs in his bag, though most of them were empty, and two other balls were kept separated to easily distinguish them from their similar counterpart, if they may be needed during a prominent event, uncertain if it may come to pass. The village was smaller than he had expected, and the area itself was not as eerie as he had thought. He decided to play along with a certain thought in mind, another odd traveller from his memory who seemed to trail his path toward the village. He randomly stated, "If you do get bored, try experimenting with them. At least, that's what I do." His menacing laugh haunted alongside his peculiar grin. Frinth then took a brisk gait away from the unfamiliar individual. A creepy laugh still haunted his ears...

Back into reality, He simply dismissed any peculiar thought and proceeded with experiment execution. He then looked for a bunch of pebbles, those which seemed conveniently round and smooth, to be tossed onto the surface of the lake, which was murky as described. Steam which continued rising from the water rolled upward. Frinth then decided to pick a few more rocks, ones preferably heavier than the initial batch and threw it at different pokemon which he hoped may be around the area. An odd, mischievous smile formed slightly, and an unfamiliar feeling welled up inside him.

Glancing down from your vantage point on a hill outside Cinder Village, you realize that you’ve finally arrived. From this height, you’re able to observe the majority of the small hamlet. Huts ranging from the small to large dominate the land, separated from each other by tiny gardens or wooden fences. To the left of the village lies a plot of land full of crops—cacti, it looks like. Mt. Ceniza looms behind the village, casting a small shadow over the tiny town.

Taking the entire image in at once, you breathe in a sigh of relief at something that looks so… normal. You’ve been on many adventures and are just ready to focus on socializing and relaxing. Cinder Village looks to be the ideal place to do so, and, with the sun still beating high up in the sky, you continue your hike down into the village…

The remaining trek is quite uneventful; you arrive at Cinder Village safely. Almost immediately you can tell that something is wrong, however. There is no one in sight, many houses look run-down or abandoned, and the gardens that should be flourishing at this time of year look dead and depleted. You begin to walk through the village, out of curiosity more than anything else. Every so often a gap between the huts lets you look out into the field full of crops, but you soon realize that the “cacti” is actually tall, spiky weeds. Everywhere you look you see the same image: Cinder Village looks to be abandoned.

At the very back of the rows of huts lies one bigger than all the others; it must be at least 20 feet long. After so long of not seeing any movement, you are surprised to find clothes strung up on a clothesline outside it, flapping in the wind. Someone must still be here! Rushing over to the hut, you stop outside the cloth opening. “Is… Is anyone here?” you call hesitantly. A few seconds later, the cloth door rustles and is pulled aside; you find yourself face to face with an elderly man struck by poverty. The bones under his clothes are quite pronounced, and you can’t help but feel sorry for him.

The elder takes a step forward, staring at you in amazement. Suddenly he reaches forward, grabs your shoulder, and shakes it slightly. “Please… Please! You must help us. Please!”

How will you respond?

Myrrh was disappointed that there were no people around, or an sort of activity before (though he knew it was a possibility), but his slight disappointment then turned into intrigue and concern as he met the elderly man. He was also slightly spooked. Though one look at his physical state and his sudden plea for help first made Myrrh think of helping him in any way he could, but he also had some questions that he wanted to ask.

"Um, hold on. Do you think you could tell me why this place is so run-down and empty? Has it been this way for a while or was this recent? Why are you in such bad shape, and how can I help with....whatever?"

A stifling heat wave rises around the mountain as you and Apollo continue your trek. Despite the searing hot conditions, your love of fire types has made the trip to Cortoza worth it, you realize. Sweat trickles down your brow and drops to the ground, signaling a need for water. Pulling out a bottle, you appease your thirst, handing it to Apollo afterwards. You continue the hike for another ˝ hour, all the while wondering what adventures await.

Weariness races through your body when you finally arrive at the Open Plains. A wide expanse of land lies out before you, dotted here and there with scrub brushes designed to withstand the arid climate. Trainers and their Pokémon can be seen in the distance participating in battles. Dust clouds from the fighting rise into the air, partially blocking your view of the epic fights taking place. You decide to venture closer, shielding your eyes along the way to keep out the sand and grit.

A barreling noise catches your attention when you’re a few feet away from the nearest battle, and you realize a split second later that the sound is coming towards you! Diving aside, you and Apollo hit the hard-packed earth as a Donphan charges past. “Donphan, no! You’ve got to pay close attention to where you’re going!” A figure races into view. Garbed in a red tunic and yellow shorts, the man looks down at you with concern as he chastises the elephant Pokémon. “Hey, my name’s Zaire. Sorry about that little incident; Donphan and I were practicing a new attack,” the man states sheepishly, extending a hand to help you up. “I take it you’re not from around these parts, eh?” Apollo, at your side, shakes his head, and it’s this movement that draws Zaire’s attention. “Ooh, a Combusken, huh? Hey, I know this won’t really make it up to you, but how about we have a Pokémon battle? You up for it?”

How will you respond?

Charm continues walking towards the Open Plains as he tries to get a better look at the battles taking place. Dust has risen due to the intense showdowns, somewhat blocking Charm's view. "Let's get a closer look," Charm says, pointing towards the closest battle. They move towards it, covering their face from all the sand.

"Hmm? What's that?" Charm queries as they get closer, hearing a barreling noice. "Oh crap, it's heading towards us!" he says, leaping to the side and falling on hard ground while a spinning Donphan zooms past them. “Donphan, no! You’ve got to pay close attention to where you’re going!” he hears a voice from whom runs forward to the scene. The man is wearing yellow shorts with a red tunic. He begins scolding the Donphan and looks back at Charm with concern. “Hey, my name’s Zaire. Sorry about that little incident; Donphan and I were practicing a new attack,” he said, lending a hand to help Charm up. Charm accepts the hand, "It's no problem, I guess. Neither of us got hurt," he said looking towards Apollo who is rising up.

“I take it you’re not from around these parts, eh?” Apollo answers that with a shake of his head. Zaire suddenly realizes the Combusken there, “Ooh, a Combusken, huh? Hey, I know this won’t really make it up to you, but how about we have a Pokémon battle? You up for it?”

The sound of a challenge certainly appealed to Charm. Plus, the Donphan having a type advantage over Apollo made it all the more challenging. "Gladly. I guess this will be our payback for what your reckless Donphan did," he gives a smirk as both trainers put some distance between each other to make room for a battling ground. "Alright, Apollo. Our first battle in Cortoza, let's make it a good one." The Apollo cawed out a battle cry before taking his battle stance and waiting for Charm's orders. Charm contemplates for a second before shouting out, "Start out light on your toes. Circle around the Donphan and gain speed with an Agility. Follow up by kicking sand into his eyes with Sand-Attack, then deliver a Will-o-Wisp!

The Ignatius River provides a relief from the hot weather, and you and Roderick can’t help but take a moment out of your journey to relax in its depths. A splashing war ensues between the two of you, but after a few minutes, you cease the fight and lie back in the water. You wonder aloud to Roderick what Pokémon might live around the banks, beginning to paddle through the water towards shore. Taking a minute to wring out your hair, Roderick bounces through the fronds and plants that line the river, looking for anything unusual. Joining him a minute later, you too begin to search for a Pokémon to catch, but to no avail. Sunny as much as it is, you become dry in no time; soon after sweat soaks through your clothes, increasing your frustration. Roderick, too, looks disappointed in your fruitless search. Sighing in exasperation, you sit down on the very edge of the river’s bank… and look down to find a Poliwag staring up at you from surface of the water! It looks like fire types aren’t the only Pokémon living on the island!

You jump in excitement, calling Roderick. He too bounds over in anticipation, looking down at the now-startled Poliwag. The water type Pokémon backs up slightly, then opens its mouth and lets loose a Bubble attack that hits you and Spoink directly, knocking both of you over. Meanwhile, it begins to swim away! Realizing what was happening, you wipe away the pain and start to run alongside it on the bank, Roderick right behind. If you think fast, you might be able to attack the Poliwag before it gets away!

How will you proceed?

"Aack!" Megh moans, rubbing the bubble residue out of her stinging eyes with her hands. "Gah! I need my glasses... Rod! ...Oh, wait a minute... you can only use Splash... I guess I have to send out someone a little stronger, okay?" Her eyes cleared, she regards the crestfallen Spoink with sympathy. "You can watch, okay? Pick up a thing or two about fighting." A little cheered, Rod bounces around in the shallows of the river, wondering which strong Pokemon he'll get to see fight!
"Go! Kiki!" A tiny green spider materializes out of the red flash from the Poke Ball. Rod stops splashing about and stares. It's just a tiny spider! "Spoink, spoink!" he whines.
"Oh, Rod, you don't need to be big to be strong! Think of Mew or Celebi, they're small, but you wouldn't look at them like that!" Megh has a point, as the spider is quivering with adrenaline. "Alright, we're going after that Poli- ah!" The Poliwag is almost out of sight. "Sure is fast," Megh mutters. "Good think I'm a bit of a swimmer! Hop on, my shoulders, guys!"

Halfway to the Poliwag, Megh stops and begins treading water. "Pant, pant... okay, here's the game plan. Kiki, reach out as far as you can with String Shot and try and catch it to keep it from escaping. Then, I'll get in as close as possible and you'll use Poison Sting! Rod, keep an eye on Kiki's form and watch how it's done."
A little irritated at all the attention the spider is getting, Roderick still wants to learn and gazes at Kiki, watching her get into a battling stance...

Floating serenely in the middle of the ocean, Cortoza is a secluded land mass which was once a beautiful and highly populated tropical island. Two hundred years ago a powerful oceanic earthquake resulted in a chain reaction of death and destruction as Cortoza's active volcanic mountains erupted in a series of cataclysmic explosions that churned out a spectacular display of ash, rock, and molten lava, and finally ending with Mt Fumi's stupendous paroxysmal eruption. All of Cortoza's vegetation was destroyed, while humans and Pokémon not fast enough to flee perished in the resulting destruction as the western end of the island collapsed beneath the sea, generating a series of devastating pyroclastic flows and immense tsunamis that ravaged adjacent coastlines. The events of that day marked the last 24 hours on earth for over 50,000 people and 300,000 Pokémon, as the wave of destruction flowed across hundreds of coastal villages and towns. For the next hundred years nobody dared approach the island due to the constant seismic activity and mini eruptions, but for the past several decades all has been quiet. Pokémon have returned, and with very few people drawn to the volcanic island, wildlife has been given the chance to thrive. Although wary, people are also beginning to venture to Cortoza again, some of the more opportunistic seeing this land as their chance to strike it rich due to its fast-booming tourism industry. Most are curious though, as the island has shown amazing regenerative qualities, and many are eager to explore and to witness the miraculous regrowth for themselves. The tropical jungle is flourishing once more, Pokémon have returned, and as far as everyone is aware most of Cortoza's volcanoes have been laying dormant for almost one hundred years.

Mt. Infernus

The second largest of Cortoza's mountains, Mt. Infernus is now extinct. Many Pokémon have made their homes within the vast network of tunnels and caverns deep within the mountain, and aren't all that accustomed to seeing people. It's become the primary breeding ground for many of the rarer Pokémon who tend to shy away from humans, and due to the protective nature of the parent Pokémon, quite a hazardous area to traverse.

Areas:Scenic Walk: A long path comprised of slopes and stairs leading up and around the mountainside. With Mt. Infernus being an extinct volcano and Cortoza's second tallest mountain, most tourists feel more comfortable sightseeing from here. The views are spectacular, and there are several campsites manned by Cortozan natives who will provide food and shelter for weary travellers.

Cortoza. For 200 years, the land has been trying to recover from a fiery apocalypse, and it's only now showing signs of a true comeback. Vegetation, Pokemon, and people inhabit the land once again, and the volcanoes have spawned the latest tourism trends, though there was no telling when they would erupt again.

At least Mt. Infernus was declared extinct, otherwise a certain venomous serpent with a bladed tail would be a little nervous about hunting here. She could already see her target: a 13 year old boy who decided to take a little nap at the bottom of a tree, near the base of the mountain, before attempting the long hike through the Scenic Walk. Little did he know he was about to receive a rude awakening. She silently slithered closer, taking in the scent of this boy until she reached the "meat sack", to coin a phrase she heard from a silly little ghost. She began to slowly nudge herself in between the boy's body and the tree, careful to stop at certain moments so he wasn't disturbed in his sleep yet. She had also caught herself tensing with excitement and made sure to relax her coils before continuing to loop herself around the kid's waist...

Off to the side lay a cave dragon with a jagged-shaped body from his head to his wings to his tail. He loved laying out in the sun on his belly with his mouth open, his wings absorbing plenty of heat and sunlight to raise his body temperature to the perfect level. Even when sunbathing, however, he was aware of the human close by, sitting under a tree. He was also aware of a Seviper slowly tying herself around the adolescent, and he wanted to get himself in on the action too.

But he had to wait for the signal.

Once the Seviper had successfully made three loops around their target's waist, she looked towards the Druddigon and winked at him. That was the signal. He slowly got up on all fours and crawled up to the imprisoned boy, then put his arms around him, barely touching the boy with his embrace. And you thought this poor kid was helpless before when it was just a Seviper on him! The snake and the dragon grin at each other, then silently nod in rhythm once... twice... three times... before they both deliver a powerful squeeze to their prey.

"OOF!" Hyrem gasps as he suddenly awakes to not one, but two strong hugs from his two strong reptiles. "Okay- okay- I'm awake- Youcanletgonow!" he quickly says as he gasps for air.

Sarkhan relaxes his Roughly Skinned arms, while Amethyst loosens her coils, though she then nuzzles Hyrem's cheek and purrs as if she was a Glameow. He was able to breathe again, but a small part of Hyrem liked it better when Sarkhan and Amethyst were less than pleasant towards him. If their attacks didn't kill him, it'd be their affection for him whenever they got massages!

"Okay," Hyrem then said, "this is probably a dumb question, but are you guys ready for your first adventure?"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" he chuckled. It had been a few months since the two were hatched and traded to him, and instead of taking them right into an adventure like he did Sera, Daphne, and even Delilah, he would drop them off at the Daycare Center for week after week after week. Sure they enjoyed their stays there--bossing the weaker Pokemon around when the stronger Pokemon weren't looking, training, getting ready to learn new attacks, making good friends with some pretty powerful creatures--but it was always the same, boring place. At least the bar would carry different sources of excitement each time they visited! Now, they would finally get their chance to do some real adventuring, and this trail would help to provide some good sightseeing, for starters, and maybe they would visit some of those places later on. The big goal of this adventure was to just get the two reptiles some good exercise, and Mt. Infernus was a great place to help with that. And maybe, just maybe, there was a Pokemon out there that wouldn't be scared off by the likes of Sarkhan and Amethyst AND be willing to make friends with them by becoming another of Hyrem's Pokemon. But in order to do that, Sarkhan, Amethyst, and this new friend would likely have to earn each other's respect. Who knows? Maybe this cool, new Pokemon would turn up here; Mt. Infernus was said to house some rarer Pokemon.

Hyrem took a moment to untangle himself from Amethyst, but once he was done, he said, "Whew, well let's get going then!"

Sarkhan and Amethyst call out in response as they walk/slither on either side of Hyrem and walk down the beginning of the trail with him.

Cortoza - Update #2 (6)

Sorry for the lateness with these, guys. I'll have more free time in the next few weeks, so expect frequent updates!

.:poketim2:.

The woman’s quick and demanding tone leaves you at a loss for words. Just who is she? “When and more importantly where did she come from?” you ask, turning towards your spider companion. Jitterz, however, quickly denies knowing how the woman appeared out of nowhere, puzzling you even further. As the seconds pass, wonderment gives way to nervous anticipation, for the woman has still not resurfaced. Could she be in trouble, perhaps? Could she be drowning this very second? What should be done? All of these questions race through your mind at lightning speeds, and it takes a bit longer for you to concoct a plan of action. “Jitterz, latch a String Shot on to the tree I was swinging from and—” The Joltik seems to realize the plan before you finish your sentence, complying to the command immediately. Taking Jitterz up in your arms, you back up a few feet and then charge off the hillock, jumping out at the last second to gain momentum from the string tied up to the tree. Light from the fireworks light up the surface of the water as you dive towards it, but darkness greets you as you crash down into the lake’s depths. Despite the clarity of the water, the dark appears to prevail in this situation. Resurfacing for a few seconds to take a deeper breath, you submerge yourself and begin to look for any signs of the woman. Jitterz shivers as you swim deeper, but nevertheless keeps a lookout with his enhanced eyesight.

Another thirty seconds pass; you surface for more air. The severity of the situation drives you under once again, but this time your eyes don’t find endless darkness, but a face one foot away from your own. It’s the woman! As you recoil from shock and surprise, she smiles, then beckons with her fingers. It looks like she wants you to follow her down deeper through the water. Hesitation flits across your face mixed with relief that she’s alive, but eventually you decide to swim down after her. As you swim further, the lake bottom drops away to a massive trench. At the edge of this trench, the woman stops. Happiness radiates from her face—or what looks to be happiness, it’s hard to tell in the dark—as she gestures at a round object stuck in the mud at the edge of the drop-off. Upon closer examination, it looks to be an old Poké Ball, charred and chipped in some places. It looks like she wants you to take it. As you gaze down at the object, you can’t help but realize that you’re almost out of air. This entire episode happened in thirty seconds, and your lungs are already beginning to burn.

What will you do now?

.:Charminions:.

After hearing the man’s request for a battle, you immediately accept, hoping to teach that Donphan a lesson. You both retreat backwards to prepare room for the fight; as you do so, many trainers not participating in the other battles taking place wander over, eager to watch. It looks like you have a crowd on your hands! Apollo seems pumped watching everyone line up, then readies himself by letting off a battle cry. “Alright, Apollo. Our first battle in Cortoza, let’s make it a good one,” you call out encouragingly. Zaire signals that he’s ready from across the field, and before you know it, the battle begins!

Following your commands, Apollo dashes off using Agility. He covers the distance to the Donphan quickly, and begins to zoom around the elephant, kicking up Sand that Attacks the Pokémon’s eyes. With lowered accuracy coming into play, Zaire decides to make his first move. “Donphan, get away from the Combusken with a Rollout! Keep it up with a Scary Face. Show him who’s the real boss around here.” Despite the sand clogging his eyes, the ground type manages to clip Apollo’s side as he rolls away, causing a minimal amount of damage. Not wasting any more time, the elephant rights himself and contorts his face into a rictus, scaring Apollo slightly and lowering the fire type’s speed. Shuddering off the attack, Apollo retaliates by sending out little orbs of flame in a Will-O-Wisp, burning the Donphan in places where the orbs meet. Enraged, the burned Pokémon charges forward towards Apollo with a Horn Attack, but misses altogether as the sand within his eyes takes its toll. “No, Donphan. Don’t attack unless I tell you to!” Zaire calls from the sideline, clearly embarrassed by his Pokémon’s negligence. You can’t help but smile inside at the unfortunate event. The battle’s still beginning; anything can happen…

What will you do next?

.:Myrrh:.

Shock grows upon your face looking down upon the poor, elderly man. The clothes he wears hang limp around his thin form, only increasing the pity and sadness you feel. His plea for help surprises you, but curiosity follows soon after. “Um, hold on. Do you think you could tell me why this place is so run-down and empty? Has it been this way for a while or was this recent? Why are you in such bad shape, and how can I help with… whatever?" Your questions hang in the air for a few seconds, as if the man is slowly sifting through each and every word carefully; meticulously. His nostrils flare suddenly as he grabs your arm, pulling you into his abode. Light filtering through the cloth casts the hut in dim darkness, but it’s enough for you to be able to see an elderly woman sitting in the corner. A Magby sits perched on her lap. The man gestures for you to take a seat near her, finally opening his mouth to speak. “I shall start from the beginning,” he wheezes, his voice gravelly and rough. “Cinder Village was once a prosperous, populated place, successful at growing crops and the like. Everyone was happy living among these huts, despite the intense heat and terrible working conditions. We weren’t poor, in a sense, just behind in the technological advances of the modern world. Our Pokémon would help us when manpower was needed, of course, but the lack of water-types here at Cortoza led to years when the crop yield failed miserably. It was at this point that travelers to the village began to tell many a miraculous tale regarding the methods of irrigation that had sprung up, marveling us with shortcuts to many methods we used. Five years back, one such visitor convinced the chief to craft a tunnel from the hot spring at the back of the village to the crop field. I’m sure you’ve heard of this, but the hot spring was quite remarkable; it could heal any human or Pokémon’s ailments! Anyway, the idea was met with glee. Finally, a solution to our problems had arrived! So, with the help of our Pokémon and the men of the village, an underwater tunnel was excavated from the hot spring to the crop field. The ash-filled water worked wonders fertilizing the field, doubling our overall crop production! The village was overjoyed!” The elderly man’s voice rose in excitement with each word, but then he broke off into a fit of coughing. You look on in concern, but he eventually resumes his story.

“But all did not turn out as planned,” he begins again sadly. “About a year and a half ago, the hot springs began to dry up! Yes, astounding as this is, it’s completely true. After years of the hot sun beating down on it, our beloved springs vanished. The crops that year turned out miserably without the nourishing water, and many people began to despair. Months passed, and the village’s population began to decline. People who relied upon the crops to make a profit for the year left, choosing to search for another place to call home. Galina and I are one of the only ones left who still call Cinder Village home. But that’s not the end of this dreaded story, oh no! In the recent weeks, we’ve been hearing explosive bangs from a cave positioned at the back of the village, right at the base of Mt. Ceniza. For some reason, Galina and I believe that these noises are somehow tied to the disappearance of the hot spring. And this is why we need your help. We’re too old, and our granddaughter who lives with us... We would never send her out to investigate something that could be dangerous. Which is why we’d like you to go and search the cave! Please, will you help us?” the man asks once again.

How will you respond?

.:Missingo. Master:.

Houndour’s barks only increase in volume as you run the rest of the way to the edge of the cliff. The fire type looks terrified as the branch begins to slowly sway in the wind, spurring you into action. Suddenly, an idea arises. “Wait a minute. Peeves, I know it's a Dark-type, but do you think you can use Psychic to lift the Houndour over here? I mean, you won't technically be attacking it, so its immunity to Psychic moves shouldn't really come into play here, right?” Peeves admits the plan’s as good as any other, beginning to use his Psychic powers to move the hound from the edge of the branch and onto the rocky outcropping. Since the Psychic type attack isn’t aimed at causing any real damage, the move succeeds, causing you to abandon your efforts of forming a second plan. Houndour’s bark ceases to whines as the Pokémon finally realizes it’s safe standing on the path. You sigh in relief and congratulate Peeves on a job well done, then turn to comfort the scared little pup. Despite realizing that everything’s alright, the Houndour still shakes uncontrollably from the ordeal. After a few minutes, you and Peeves manage to calm the dog down. Peeves asks the Houndour a few questions about how he managed to land himself in this precarious situation, but, strangely, the Pokémon doesn’t answer. Puzzled, you gaze around at your surroundings and begin to wonder what to do next. This Houndour could have a home nearby, or—

A shout suddenly breaks your concentration. Looking up, you see a boy running down the mountain path towards you, stopping a few feet away and pointing an accusing finger at the Houndour. He looks to be in his late teens, sporting lean muscle underneath his blue and white striped shirt. A Mothim floats along beside him. “THIEF!” the man suddenly yells, again looking right at the Houndour and ignoring you completely. “Go, Mothim, catch that Pokémon with an Electroweb! Top it off with Signal beam!”

The enraged teen stares crazily at the Houndour you saved, who looks quite frightened from this odd turn of events.

Will you intervene?

.:gmoyes:.

The live feed displaying from your laptop relays the riddle carved above the statue’s head. After pondering it for several seconds, you manage to work out the bare essentials of the puzzle and instruct your Pokémon accordingly. “Theta, I want you to see if you can move that orb with your magnetic powers. If you can, take it over to the closest pool of lava and dip it in. Then without touching it, put it in the hands of the statue. If you can't move it, then Echo try using your Confusion to do it.” You cross your fingers in hopes that your plan works, and can’t help but imagine what would happen if you are mistaken…

---

Inside the chamber, Echo and Theta hear their trainer’s words through the Pokédex. After listening to Alex’s plan, the Pokémon begin to understand his strategy and pray that he’s correct. Advancing toward the pedestal in the center of the room, the Magnemite sends out an electromagnetic wave towards the orb. However, the energy it exerts is suddenly redirected into the walls yet again! Echo, on the other hand, succeeds in moving the ball with its psychic-powered Confusion, earning a yell of excitement from Alex. Moving the orb seems to cause strain on the Bronzor, though, and it nearly drops the ball several times when maneuvering it to rest over the magma pits. The orb sinks ever lower until it is fully submerged in the magma; concentrating once more, Echo uses Confusion again to quickly carry the orb from the pit to the awaiting hands of the statue.

---

On the other end of the line, you sit with bated breath, watching the scene unfold. Suddenly, the statue’s eyes snap open: red pupils ringed with white. Up above, the words etched on the wall change and morph:

“Advance, advance down the passage below
You have passed the first test… although
One lies ahead that will challenge you.
Prove your worth to the Goddess and she will come through.”

A rumbling noise draws your attention. Looking down the screen, you see that the statue has slid aside; 'lo and behold, a tunnel stretches off behind it. You urge Theta and Echo to continue exploring, and they gladly do so, gliding down the tunnel at a fast pace. A few minutes later, the passage opens up into a generally large room. Familiar lines dot the floor in a square shape, and it takes you a second to recognize what this room truly is: a Pokémon battle field. And that’s when you notice the creature at the very end of the room. An Arcanine rears back its head, letting loose a gruff cry. Your mind flashes back to the new puzzle in the previous room. “One lies ahead that will challenge you…”

Will you battle the Arcanine?

.:Megh:.

Bubbles sting your eyes as the Poliwag begins to jump away, gaining distance fast. Rubbing the spray from your face quickly, you begin to chase after it, bringing out Kiki the Spinarak to help. Roderick looks on sadly when he realizes that he can’t be of any help, but a quick pep talk cheers him right up. Hoisting the two Pokémon onto your shoulders, you take off at a fast gait across the river to keep up with the Poliwag’s pace. The water Pokémon’s still a great deal ahead of you when you decide to work on a plan of action with Kiki. The spider listens attentively, then readies herself atop your head. When you are just about 15 feet back from the frantic Poliwag, Kiki lets loose a String Shot that wraps itself around the water type, followed by a Poison Sting that damages the Pokémon slightly. You exclaim a “Well done!” to Kiki as you begin pulling the now-trapped Poliwag to shore. It struggles and starts shooting off more Bubbles that sting as they hit you, but you bear the attack in all of your excitement. At last you arrive on the bank, and Roderick hops down in hopes that he can get a turn in the action. He had been watching Kiki’s every move; he now thought he was ready to fight. He hops on over to the trapped Pokémon to your dismay; when he is a few feet away, the Poliwag stops its struggling and whips its tail around in a vicious Doubleslap that knocks Roderick back a couple of yards. Anger sizzles through you at the sight of your injured Spoink. Meanwhile, the Poliwag stares on, the sticky string still coating its upper body. It looks like it wants a fight now.

Houndour’s barks only increase in volume as you run the rest of the way to the edge of the cliff. The fire type looks terrified as the branch begins to slowly sway in the wind, spurring you into action. Suddenly, an idea arises. “Wait a minute. Peeves, I know it's a Dark-type, but do you think you can use Psychic to lift the Houndour over here? I mean, you won't technically be attacking it, so its immunity to Psychic moves shouldn't really come into play here, right?” Peeves admits the plan’s as good as any other, beginning to use his Psychic powers to move the hound from the edge of the branch and onto the rocky outcropping. Since the Psychic type attack isn’t aimed at causing any real damage, the move succeeds, causing you to abandon your efforts of forming a second plan. Houndour’s bark ceases to whines as the Pokémon finally realizes it’s safe standing on the path. You sigh in relief and congratulate Peeves on a job well done, then turn to comfort the scared little pup. Despite realizing that everything’s alright, the Houndour still shakes uncontrollably from the ordeal. After a few minutes, you and Peeves manage to calm the dog down. Peeves asks the Houndour a few questions about how he managed to land himself in this precarious situation, but, strangely, the Pokémon doesn’t answer. Puzzled, you gaze around at your surroundings and begin to wonder what to do next. This Houndour could have a home nearby, or—

A shout suddenly breaks your concentration. Looking up, you see a boy running down the mountain path towards you, stopping a few feet away and pointing an accusing finger at the Houndour. He looks to be in his late teens, sporting lean muscle underneath his blue and white striped shirt. A Mothim floats along beside him. “THIEF!” the man suddenly yells, again looking right at the Houndour and ignoring you completely. “Go, Mothim, catch that Pokémon with an Electroweb! Top it off with Signal beam!”

The enraged teen stares crazily at the Houndour you saved, who looks quite frightened from this odd turn of events.

Will you intervene?

Keith glanced between the enraged trainer and his Mothim, and the shaking, frightened Houndour. A thief? Something didn't seem right to Keith here... "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute!" Keith called to the trainer. "This Houndour was trapped out on a branch over the side of a cliff, it's been there for the past couple of minutes at least. What are you attacking it for?"

Peeves, meanwhile, prepared to deflect the Mothim's attacks with his own, ready to stop the Electroweb with his Psychic, and deflect Signal Beam with Night Shade, also not convinced of the Houndour's guilt.

Sorry for the lateness with these, guys. I'll have more free time in the next few weeks, so expect frequent updates!

.:Myrrh:.

Shock grows upon your face looking down upon the poor, elderly man. The clothes he wears hang limp around his thin form, only increasing the pity and sadness you feel. His plea for help surprises you, but curiosity follows soon after. “Um, hold on. Do you think you could tell me why this place is so run-down and empty? Has it been this way for a while or was this recent? Why are you in such bad shape, and how can I help with… whatever?" Your questions hang in the air for a few seconds, as if the man is slowly sifting through each and every word carefully; meticulously. His nostrils flare suddenly as he grabs your arm, pulling you into his abode. Light filtering through the cloth casts the hut in dim darkness, but it’s enough for you to be able to see an elderly woman sitting in the corner. A Magby sits perched on her lap. The man gestures for you to take a seat near her, finally opening his mouth to speak. “I shall start from the beginning,” he wheezes, his voice gravelly and rough. “Cinder Village was once a prosperous, populated place, successful at growing crops and the like. Everyone was happy living among these huts, despite the intense heat and terrible working conditions. We weren’t poor, in a sense, just behind in the technological advances of the modern world. Our Pokémon would help us when manpower was needed, of course, but the lack of water-types here at Cortoza led to years when the crop yield failed miserably. It was at this point that travelers to the village began to tell many a miraculous tale regarding the methods of irrigation that had sprung up, marveling us with shortcuts to many methods we used. Five years back, one such visitor convinced the chief to craft a tunnel from the hot spring at the back of the village to the crop field. I’m sure you’ve heard of this, but the hot spring was quite remarkable; it could heal any human or Pokémon’s ailments! Anyway, the idea was met with glee. Finally, a solution to our problems had arrived! So, with the help of our Pokémon and the men of the village, an underwater tunnel was excavated from the hot spring to the crop field. The ash-filled water worked wonders fertilizing the field, doubling our overall crop production! The village was overjoyed!” The elderly man’s voice rose in excitement with each word, but then he broke off into a fit of coughing. You look on in concern, but he eventually resumes his story.

“But all did not turn out as planned,” he begins again sadly. “About a year and a half ago, the hot springs began to dry up! Yes, astounding as this is, it’s completely true. After years of the hot sun beating down on it, our beloved springs vanished. The crops that year turned out miserably without the nourishing water, and many people began to despair. Months passed, and the village’s population began to decline. People who relied upon the crops to make a profit for the year left, choosing to search for another place to call home. Galina and I are one of the only ones left who still call Cinder Village home. But that’s not the end of this dreaded story, oh no! In the recent weeks, we’ve been hearing explosive bangs from a cave positioned at the back of the village, right at the base of Mt. Ceniza. For some reason, Galina and I believe that these noises are somehow tied to the disappearance of the hot spring. And this is why we need your help. We’re too old, and our granddaughter who lives with us... We would never send her out to investigate something that could be dangerous. Which is why we’d like you to go and search the cave! Please, will you help us?” the man asks once again.

How will you respond?

Myrrh came to the village a few years too late, for that what he sought from the village was long gone. It would have been great to visit during the village's prime, but he was more concerned about helping the remaining three villagers by checking out this cave right now. It seemed Myrrh was about to do some adventuring, which is fine by him seeing as it was his plan B explore the land surrounding the village anyways.

"That was some story. It's too bad all of this had to happen. But like I said before, I'm willing to help in any way I can. I can leave right away too, I'd just need to know what direction to take, and any other information I might need to know. You said the back of the village...." Myrrh seemed pretty confident in himself, he didn't think there would be anything too bad in the cave. Which led to his question

"Oh and, if I may ask, why didn't you let your granddaughter go check out the cave? Is she too young to be exploring on her own or is this cave much more dangerous than I think it is?"

After hearing the man’s request for a battle, you immediately accept, hoping to teach that Donphan a lesson. You both retreat backwards to prepare room for the fight; as you do so, many trainers not participating in the other battles taking place wander over, eager to watch. It looks like you have a crowd on your hands! Apollo seems pumped watching everyone line up, then readies himself by letting off a battle cry. “Alright, Apollo. Our first battle in Cortoza, let’s make it a good one,” you call out encouragingly. Zaire signals that he’s ready from across the field, and before you know it, the battle begins!

Following your commands, Apollo dashes off using Agility. He covers the distance to the Donphan quickly, and begins to zoom around the elephant, kicking up Sand that Attacks the Pokémon’s eyes. With lowered accuracy coming into play, Zaire decides to make his first move. “Donphan, get away from the Combusken with a Rollout! Keep it up with a Scary Face. Show him who’s the real boss around here.” Despite the sand clogging his eyes, the ground type manages to clip Apollo’s side as he rolls away, causing a minimal amount of damage. Not wasting any more time, the elephant rights himself and contorts his face into a rictus, scaring Apollo slightly and lowering the fire type’s speed. Shuddering off the attack, Apollo retaliates by sending out little orbs of flame in a Will-O-Wisp, burning the Donphan in places where the orbs meet. Enraged, the burned Pokémon charges forward towards Apollo with a Horn Attack, but misses altogether as the sand within his eyes takes its toll. “No, Donphan. Don’t attack unless I tell you to!” Zaire calls from the sideline, clearly embarrassed by his Pokémon’s negligence. You can’t help but smile inside at the unfortunate event. The battle’s still beginning; anything can happen…

What will you do next?

Not a bad Rollout, Charm thought to himself as he witnessed the Donphan managing to scrape Apollo despite having sand in his eyes. He was rather disappointed that Apollo actually got scared by the Donphan's Scary Face, but he guesses it's to be expected due to the Pokemon's size.

"Go for it," Charm tries to encourage his Pokemon. The Combusken answers the call, releasing several blue flames with his Will-O-Wisp, succesfully leaving burns on the Donphan. "Atta boy!" The Donphan lashes out in anger with a Horn Attack, and embarrassingly misses. “No, Donphan. Don’t attack unless I tell you to!” Zaire calls out. Charm lets out a smile at their mistake and contemplates his next orders.

"Let's start dishing out some real damage. Hidden Power (Grass), aim those orbs at his burn spots for extra pain! Then Swords Dance up to boost your attack. Finally, Bounce up to dodge an attack and pounce right on top of him! If he doesn't attack you at that time, use Fire Punch instead!"

The live feed displaying from your laptop relays the riddle carved above the statue’s head. After pondering it for several seconds, you manage to work out the bare essentials of the puzzle and instruct your Pokémon accordingly. “Theta, I want you to see if you can move that orb with your magnetic powers. If you can, take it over to the closest pool of lava and dip it in. Then without touching it, put it in the hands of the statue. If you can't move it, then Echo try using your Confusion to do it.” You cross your fingers in hopes that your plan works, and can’t help but imagine what would happen if you are mistaken…

---

Inside the chamber, Echo and Theta hear their trainer’s words through the Pokédex. After listening to Alex’s plan, the Pokémon begin to understand his strategy and pray that he’s correct. Advancing toward the pedestal in the center of the room, the Magnemite sends out an electromagnetic wave towards the orb. However, the energy it exerts is suddenly redirected into the walls yet again! Echo, on the other hand, succeeds in moving the ball with its psychic-powered Confusion, earning a yell of excitement from Alex. Moving the orb seems to cause strain on the Bronzor, though, and it nearly drops the ball several times when maneuvering it to rest over the magma pits. The orb sinks ever lower until it is fully submerged in the magma; concentrating once more, Echo uses Confusion again to quickly carry the orb from the pit to the awaiting hands of the statue.

---

On the other end of the line, you sit with bated breath, watching the scene unfold. Suddenly, the statue’s eyes snap open: red pupils ringed with white. Up above, the words etched on the wall change and morph:

“Advance, advance down the passage below
You have passed the first test… although
One lies ahead that will challenge you.
Prove your worth to the Goddess and she will come through.”

A rumbling noise draws your attention. Looking down the screen, you see that the statue has slid aside; 'lo and behold, a tunnel stretches off behind it. You urge Theta and Echo to continue exploring, and they gladly do so, gliding down the tunnel at a fast pace. A few minutes later, the passage opens up into a generally large room. Familiar lines dot the floor in a square shape, and it takes you a second to recognize what this room truly is: a Pokémon battle field. And that’s when you notice the creature at the very end of the room. An Arcanine rears back its head, letting loose a gruff cry. Your mind flashes back to the new puzzle in the previous room. “One lies ahead that will challenge you…”

Will you battle the Arcanine?

Alex frowned as Theta's electromagnetic waves were being drawn towards the walls of the cave. The walls must be made up of a highly magnetic ore which absorbed any nearby electric energy. An odd phenomenom, though it would make his Magnemite's abilities useless. Good thing he planned to have Echo be the main battler incase anything happened. Also with Theta handling the pokedex it would have difficulty battling.

Alex watched as Echo's Confusion stuggled to move the sphere. He grumbled, thinking that the next chance he got he would buy a TM for Psychic. If it was struggling with a small metal ball who knows what problems might occure in the future? At least it would make do for now, Echo had managed to get the orb from the pedistal to a pool of lava. Once it was fully engulfed in the molten rock, Echo pulled it out and placed it in the hands of of the statue. He watched in awe as the words behind the statue changed and the women's eyes opened. It must have been triggered by the combined weight and heat of the orb. The glowing eyes were unnerving, but the important thing was the words. They were much clearer than the previous set.

"'Advance, advance down the passage below, you have passed the first test...'" He closed his eyes and sighed. How many test would there be? At least this one wasn't that bad. "'Although, one lies ahead that will challange you. Prove your worth to the goddess and she will come through.'" The goddess must be Pele, the one the cavern was named after. The statue must have been of her. Though how would a ancient goddess come through for him? Obviously not directly.

After he read the words the statue moved off to the side revealing a tunnel going deeper into the mountain. "Ok guys, let's keep going. We have to keep an eye out for anything dangerous. It will just get harder from here on out."

After traveling down the passage for a while, the cave widened out into a open flat area. At the far end of the cave stood a large dog-like pokemon. The Arcanine raised its head and let out a battle cry. Even from over the speakers of his computer it was still loud enough to cause him to cringe. This must have been what the words were refering to, but those words must have been at least a hundred years old, way longer than any Arcanine could live. So how would the words know that there would be one here? Maybe the orb triggered some sort of lure. Whatever the reason, they had to deal with it. "Theta, stay off to the side and get a good view of the area. Echo, it's time to battle. Let's see if we can end this quick with a Hypnosis. If it isn't asleep, Extrasensory to Ancient Power."

The steel type bobbed a nod to the camera and faced the the fire typed dog pokemon ready to fight.

[size=1]Sorry for the lateness with these, guys. I'll have more free time in the next few weeks, so expect frequent updates!

.: poketim2:.

The woman’s quick and demanding tone leaves you at a loss for words. Just who is she? “When and more importantly where did she come from?” you ask, turning towards your spider companion. Jitterz, however, quickly denies knowing how the woman appeared out of nowhere, puzzling you even further. As the seconds pass, wonderment gives way to nervous anticipation, for the woman has still not resurfaced. Could she be in trouble, perhaps? Could she be drowning this very second? What should be done? All of these questions race through your mind at lightning speeds, and it takes a bit longer for you to concoct a plan of action. “Jitterz, latch a String Shot on to the tree I was swinging from and—” The Joltik seems to realize the plan before you finish your sentence, complying to the command immediately. Taking Jitterz up in your arms, you back up a few feet and then charge off the hillock, jumping out at the last second to gain momentum from the string tied up to the tree. Light from the fireworks light up the surface of the water as you dive towards it, but darkness greets you as you crash down into the lake’s depths. Despite the clarity of the water, the dark appears to prevail in this situation. Resurfacing for a few seconds to take a deeper breath, you submerge yourself and begin to look for any signs of the woman. Jitterz shivers as you swim deeper, but nevertheless keeps a lookout with his enhanced eyesight.

Another thirty seconds pass; you surface for more air. The severity of the situation drives you under once again, but this time your eyes don’t find endless darkness, but a face one foot away from your own. It’s the woman! As you recoil from shock and surprise, she smiles, then beckons with her fingers. It looks like she wants you to follow her down deeper through the water. Hesitation flits across your face mixed with relief that she’s alive, but eventually you decide to swim down after her. As you swim further, the lake bottom drops away to a massive trench. At the edge of this trench, the woman stops. Happiness radiates from her face—or what looks to be happiness, it’s hard to tell in the dark—as she gestures at a round object stuck in the mud at the edge of the drop-off. Upon closer examination, it looks to be an old Poké Ball, charred and chipped in some places. It looks like she wants you to take it. As you gaze down at the object, you can’t help but realize that you’re almost out of air. This entire episode happened in thirty seconds, and your lungs are already beginning to burn.

What will you do now?

The need for air hit Brier hit Brier like a chainsaw mawing its way through a tree. He pointed up then back down to tell the woman of his intentions and ripped away towards the surface. "Ahhh, AHHHHhhh, Jitterz we're going back down for that Pokeball, I wonder why it's down there? Anyway here we go. Ahhhhh," Brier took one more deep breath before diving back down past the woman to the lodged ball. He grabbed hold of it, placed both feet on the rock below to gain leverage snd proceeded to pull and his partner barely managed to hold on to his shirt to keep from floating away.

Cortoza - Update #3 (5)

.:poketim2:.

Signaling to the woman your need for air, you swim up and grab a quick breath before diving back down just as fast. The woman still remains in her previous spot, hovering over the Poké Ball. Her hair fans out around her face in the water, and you can’t help but think how beautiful this woman is. She points yet again at the Ball, but seems to be increasing in impatience with each second. You comply with her silent command and pull against the object stuck in the mud, bracing yourself against the edge of the trench for more support. Jitterz begins to float away as you concentrate on this task, but he quickly recovers himself by grabbing onto your shirt. Bubbles start to escape from your mouth as you heave against the Ball with all your might… Pop!

Suddenly the Poké Ball pops out of its resting place. Up close, you can see that chips and dents race all around the ball. Just what could have happened to it? Another question races through your mind, followed by another. How long has it been down here? Better yet, is there a Pokémon inside? Curiosity arisen, you gesture toward the surface, and begin to swim upwards. Being only about eight feet under, you and Jitterz breathe a sigh of relief a few seconds later as oxygen races into your lungs. The woman surfaces with you, beginning to swim towards the shore. Questions continue to arise within, but you can’t seem to get a clear grip on your thoughts. The entire situation’s just too confusing and strange.

The woman rises out of the water, climbing the embankment that leads onto land. Turning, she notices your look of confusion, pausing to look at the Poké Ball you still clutch in your hand. “Thank you, thank you so much.” She hesitates, then resumes speaking. “You see, I lost the item that you hold now long ago. I have so dearly missed the Pokémon that resides within it… Thank you for helping me, but now I must go…” Her voice trails off into nothingness, but curiosity still plagues you. The woman turns, beginning to walk away. You call out to her, but a wave of weariness suddenly engulfs your body. Your limbs feel sluggish and soft, your eyes slowly begin to close. The last thing you see is the retreating form of the woman, right before she vanishes into thin air! Your drowsy limbs refuse to obey your commands any longer; you collapse to the ground into a deep sleep.

---

“Hey, are you all right?”

Suddenly your eyes snap open to see a young boy looking down over you. Memories begin to swim to the surface of your mind: the lake, the Poké Ball, the woman. You sit up slowly, looking around for any signs her, but to no avail. Looking around, you see the old Poké Ball lying a few feet away. The boy offers you a hand, helping you stand up. You question the boy whether he saw any signs of the mysterious girl, but he shakes his head in denial. As he shakes his head, however, his eyes begin to grow wide.

“The woman… The woman of legend! You saw the ghost!” the boy shouts excitedly. “Tell me, what was she like?”

How will you respond?

.:Charminions:.

Apollo listens intently to your orders, cawing quickly to let you know he understands. Suddenly a strong wind picks up, causing the plain grass to shake. The Donphan finds that the sand in his eyes is now nearly gone from the heavy gale…

Not wanting to waste any more time, Apollo summons the Grass energy inside of his body, and unleashes this Hidden Power in the form of bright-green orbs. The spheres of light rocket towards the Donphan; it bellows loudly as it sees the incoming attack. “Quick, Donphan,” Zaire calls from afar, noticing that his Pokémon’s accuracy has been restored. “Use your own Ancient Power to intercept the Combusken’s attack. Then go in close for an Iron Tail, followed by a Slam.” Rocks and boulders strewn across the plain rise up as the Donphan obeys its trainer’s command, launching them towards the orbs of energy. The impact of the two attacks sends a rumble through the air. Much of the rocks shatter upon impact with the Grass-type move, which leaves the field wide open for the remainder of the Hidden Power to deal its damage. A few orbs make contact with the elephant, opening up the wounds that the Donphan had sustained from the earlier Will-O-Wisp. Biting back the pain, Donphan rushes forward as Apollo begins to Swords Dance. It looks like the Ancient Power had an interesting side effect on the elephant Pokémon’s speed! Just as Apollo finishes his move boosting his attack, the Donphan side-swipes the fire type with its steel-hardened tail, pushing him back a few yards. Taking advantage of the closeness, Apollo jumps up into the air with a Bounce as the Donphan slams into his lower torso, causing the Combusken to get off-balance and fall to the ground. As the dust from all of the attacks clear, you can see that both combatants are panting pretty heavily. The Donphan winces as the burn continues to take its course. It looks like Donphan’s health is a little lower than Apollo’s, although Apollo’s energy use is beginning to drain quickly as well. The battle can turn in anyone’s favor.

What will you do next?

.:Myrrh:.

The man’s saddening story reveals what the village was like in its prime, and you can’t help but wish that you had arrived a few years ago. Galina, the man’s wife, clutches the Magby tightly in her lap as the story reaches its climax, and you can see a glint of tears begin to form across her cheeks. At the end of the tale, surprise is written clearly across you face. How could the village have gotten itself in this sort of predicament? “That was some story,” you acknowledge to the man. “It’s too bad all of this had to happen. But like I said before, I’m willing to help in any way I can. I can leave right away too, I’d just need to know what direction to take and any other information I might need to know. You said the back of the village…” At your pause, the woman arises from her chair and rummages in a nearby cabinet. Turning, she offers you a rolled up piece of parchment weathered with age. She smiles at you as you take it. “Slate and I would be forever grateful if you could help. That’s a map of the village. A red ‘X’ marks the spot of the cave. Most of the noises we hear happen at dusk and early in the night. Judging by the sun, it looks to be an hour or two before dark, so if you set out right away, you should be able to find the cave just in time.” You thank her and Slate, heading towards the entrance of the hut. At the entryway, another question emerges in your mind.

“If I may ask,” you begin, “why don’t you let your granddaughter go check out the cave? Is she too young to be exploring on her own or is this cave much more dangerous than I think it is?” Your question hangs in the air for a few seconds, as if Slate is debating on how to word his answer. “Umm, no,” he finally ansers. “She is actually sixteen years old, it’s just that we’d never send her out to investigate something like this. We don’t know if the cave’s dangerous, but something is definitely amiss up there.” His answer seems genuine, so you thank the elderly couple, leaving the hut to start out on this unusual adventure. As the cloth door falls over your shoulder, you can hear Slate’s voice call forth: “May Pele watch over and guide you on your quest.”

His words send a faint chill through your body as you set off towards the back of the village. Unfurling the rolled-up map, you see a faint red ‘X’ imprinted at the base of Mt. Ceniza, as Galina had said. By looking at the distance from the ‘X’ to the tiny houses etched on the parchment, it looks like the cave’s a mile or two north of your present location. Adjusting your traveling direction accordingly, you set off down a side path that branches away from Slate’s hut. Signs of abandonment are clear in this part of the village, for many of the cottage’s doors stand wide open or aren’t even there at all. Inside you can view grimy, dilapidated objects: chairs, tables, boxes, even some rotten food. A movement out of one of these very huts catches your eye as you walk past it. Suddenly, a Spearow darts out of the doorway, flying straight towards you. It pecks at your hands and face, causing you to drop the map. Cawing delightedly, the dastardly quick bird leaps down, grabs the parchment, and starts to fly away! “Great job, Spearow!” a voice calls a few houses ahead. Looking up, you see a girl running alongside the flying bird. A shock of red hair tops her head. Your map has just been stolen!

How will you respond?

.:Missingo. Master:.

Anger glints in the youth’s eyes as he finishes his tirade. The Mothim immediately responds to its crazy trainer’s demands, hurling forward a Web of Electricty at the Houndour, followed quickly by a Signal Beam. Despite the man’s remarks that the Houndour’s a thief, Peeves utilizes his Psychic powers to stop the first attack, blasting the second with a well-aimed Night Shade. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute,” you shout at the deranged teen. “This Houndour was trapped out on a branch over the side of a cliff; it’s been there for the past couple of minutes at least. What are you attacking it for?”

Opening his mouth to retort, the boy steps forward. “You idiot,” he calls. “Haven’t you heard? The Pokémon living upon this mountain trail are not to be trusted. That little vermin Houndour used the same trick on me a few hours ago. You found it in a position of need, huh? Yep, it all happened to me as well. I was minding my own business, when out of the clear blue I heard a bark split the air. Rushing over, ‘lo and behold, I found a Houndour trapped underneath a rock. I helped the poor Pokémon out, but the next thing I knew, it stole my food and left. I’ve been exploring this mountain trail for the past few hours, searching for the sneaky little thief. And now I’ve finally caught up to it!” he finishes with a maniacal laugh. Looking past you, he points at the little black dog. Only… the Houndour’s gone! Glancing behind, you too realize that the Pokémon’s vanished. A sinking feeling settles in your stomach. What if the teen is right?

A cry of anger escapes the boy’s lips as his eyes find empty air where the Houndour had been standing. “Gah, now look at what you’ve done,” he calls, looking straight at you and Peeves. “It escaped while I was talking. C’mon, you’re going to help me track down that little thief. With two of us going after it, there’s no way it’ll be able to pull that little vanishing act again.” Stalking past you, the youth returns his Mothim to a Poké Ball. “After all,” he continues over his shoulder, “this is your fault.”
A sizzle of rage sings through you at that last comment, but it’s masked by a sense of betrayal. Is the Houndour truly a thief? And if not, why did it run away like it did? Either way, something is definitely amiss.

Will you help the boy continue his search?

.:gmoyes:.

Questions plague your thoughts upon seeing the fire dog roar. How could a cavern thousands of years old contain a Pokémon ready and willing to fight? Dismissing the question for a later time, you focus on the matter at hand. “Theta,” you call through the microphone, “stay off to the side and get a good view of the area. Echo, it’s time to battle. Let’s see if we can end this quick.” The Bronzor listens to your commands, then shoots forth a wave of Hypnosis towards the regal Arcanine. It seems it was expecting something along these lines, for the fire-type manages to barely dodge the Hypnosis by putting on a burst of Extremespeed. The Arcanine zooms and feints this way and that before jumping straight up in the air above Echo. Flames surround the canine as it Wheels back to the earth, hitting the Bronzor head-on. Thanks to its Heatproof ability, the damage from the fire-type attack is weakened, although pain still races through the steel-type’s innards. You yell encouragements through the microphone upon seeing the effectiveness of this particular ability, realizing it was a very smart choice to include Echo on this expedition.

Not stopping there, Echo retaliates with an Extrasensory. A golden beam of psychic energy coalesces around the steel-type before it’s propelled a few yards towards the Arcanine. It tries to dodge this attack like before but fails to do so in time. The psychic attack knocks the Pokémon back a few feet further. Taking advantage of this time of weakness, Echo follows through with an Ancient Power, summoning forth a few rocks and boulders that fly towards the Arcanine. Growling in anger, the fire-type defends itself by using its Iron Tail to smash many of the rocks. It fails to smash all of the rocks in time, for one manages to knock the Pokémon off its feet. The battle has only just begun, and it appears that both sides are even… for now.

What’s your next move?

.:Megh:. -- ╠ Repost of your last update ╣

Bubbles sting your eyes as the Poliwag begins to jump away, gaining distance fast. Rubbing the spray from your face quickly, you begin to chase after it, bringing out Kiki the Spinarak to help. Roderick looks on sadly when he realizes that he can’t be of any help, but a quick pep talk cheers him right up. Hoisting the two Pokémon onto your shoulders, you take off at a fast gait across the river to keep up with the Poliwag’s pace. The water Pokémon’s still a great deal ahead of you when you decide to work on a plan of action with Kiki. The spider listens attentively, then readies herself atop your head. When you are just about 15 feet back from the frantic Poliwag, Kiki lets loose a String Shot that wraps itself around the water type, followed by a Poison Sting that damages the Pokémon slightly. You exclaim a “Well done!” to Kiki as you begin pulling the now-trapped Poliwag to shore. It struggles and starts shooting off more Bubbles that sting as they hit you, but you bear the attack in all of your excitement. At last you arrive on the bank, and Roderick hops down in hopes that he can get a turn in the action. He had been watching Kiki’s every move; he now thought he was ready to fight. He hops on over to the trapped Pokémon to your dismay; when he is a few feet away, the Poliwag stops its struggling and whips its tail around in a vicious Doubleslap that knocks Roderick back a couple of yards. Anger sizzles through you at the sight of your injured Spoink. Meanwhile, the Poliwag stares on, the sticky string still coating its upper body. It looks like it wants a fight now.

Anger glints in the youth’s eyes as he finishes his tirade. The Mothim immediately responds to its crazy trainer’s demands, hurling forward a Web of Electricty at the Houndour, followed quickly by a Signal Beam. Despite the man’s remarks that the Houndour’s a thief, Peeves utilizes his Psychic powers to stop the first attack, blasting the second with a well-aimed Night Shade. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute,” you shout at the deranged teen. “This Houndour was trapped out on a branch over the side of a cliff; it’s been there for the past couple of minutes at least. What are you attacking it for?”

Opening his mouth to retort, the boy steps forward. “You idiot,” he calls. “Haven’t you heard? The Pokémon living upon this mountain trail are not to be trusted. That little vermin Houndour used the same trick on me a few hours ago. You found it in a position of need, huh? Yep, it all happened to me as well. I was minding my own business, when out of the clear blue I heard a bark split the air. Rushing over, ‘lo and behold, I found a Houndour trapped underneath a rock. I helped the poor Pokémon out, but the next thing I knew, it stole my food and left. I’ve been exploring this mountain trail for the past few hours, searching for the sneaky little thief. And now I’ve finally caught up to it!” he finishes with a maniacal laugh. Looking past you, he points at the little black dog. Only… the Houndour’s gone! Glancing behind, you too realize that the Pokémon’s vanished. A sinking feeling settles in your stomach. What if the teen is right?

A cry of anger escapes the boy’s lips as his eyes find empty air where the Houndour had been standing. “Gah, now look at what you’ve done,” he calls, looking straight at you and Peeves. “It escaped while I was talking. C’mon, you’re going to help me track down that little thief. With two of us going after it, there’s no way it’ll be able to pull that little vanishing act again.” Stalking past you, the youth returns his Mothim to a Poké Ball. “After all,” he continues over his shoulder, “this is your fault.”
A sizzle of rage sings through you at that last comment, but it’s masked by a sense of betrayal. Is the Houndour truly a thief? And if not, why did it run away like it did? Either way, something is definitely amiss.

Will you help the boy continue his search?

Keith blinked in surprise as the trainer explained that the Pokemon living on that mountain trail weren't to be trusted.

"Wait, you're sure it's the same Houndour?" Keith asked, a little thrown by this news. Not as thrown as he was when he discovered that the Houndour was gone, though. "What the-" Keith began, though was interrupted as the boy angrily told Keith that he was to accompany him in tracking down the Houndour, and then stated that it was his fault. At the words "this is your fault", Keith felt a surge of anger. How was he supposed to know? Before he could open his mouth to retort, however, a flash of light erupted from his belt, and what appeared to be a floating scrap of purple cloth with eyes emerged. The Shuppet regarded this boy with a contemptuous glare.

"Just one mi-nute," Myrtle said. " Now you list-en to me. Meat Sack here might not be the bright-est Star-yu core in the o-cean, but you will not call him an i-di-ot. That is my job, and e-ven then, on-ly when he de-serves it. And Po-ke Balls are not sound-proof, so I know for a fact he did not de-serve it this time. And for the re-cord, you could have ea-si-ly kept your eyes on the Houn-dour your-self while ex-plai-ning this to him. If a-ny-thing, that makes this your fault."

"I... wow," Keith murmured, not used to his Shuppet sticking up for him like this. "Thanks, Myrtle."

"Don't get used to it," Myrtle replied. before floating down to Keith's belt and returning herself to her Poke Ball.

"OK, now are we look for Houndour or not?" Peeves asked the two trainers.

"Right," nodded Keith. He felt a little betrayed, though... He had helped that Houndour out, and now it had fled on him.

"Things no always what they seem like," Peeves said to Keith, more or less figuring out how he was feeling. "For all we know, that Houndour have good reason to steal food."

Keith shrugged. "Maybe," he admitted. "Regardless, we gotta find the Houndour. Even if it's not a thief, I think it'd be nice to get to the bottom of all this. Now, Peeves, use your Foresight. Scan this mountain for any sign of that Houndour."

"I never use Foresight that way before," Peeves warned him. "I no sure how well it work like that."

The man’s saddening story reveals what the village was like in its prime, and you can’t help but wish that you had arrived a few years ago. Galina, the man’s wife, clutches the Magby tightly in her lap as the story reaches its climax, and you can see a glint of tears begin to form across her cheeks. At the end of the tale, surprise is written clearly across you face. How could the village have gotten itself in this sort of predicament? “That was some story,” you acknowledge to the man. “It’s too bad all of this had to happen. But like I said before, I’m willing to help in any way I can. I can leave right away too, I’d just need to know what direction to take and any other information I might need to know. You said the back of the village…” At your pause, the woman arises from her chair and rummages in a nearby cabinet. Turning, she offers you a rolled up piece of parchment weathered with age. She smiles at you as you take it. “Slate and I would be forever grateful if you could help. That’s a map of the village. A red ‘X’ marks the spot of the cave. Most of the noises we hear happen at dusk and early in the night. Judging by the sun, it looks to be an hour or two before dark, so if you set out right away, you should be able to find the cave just in time.” You thank her and Slate, heading towards the entrance of the hut. At the entryway, another question emerges in your mind.

“If I may ask,” you begin, “why don’t you let your granddaughter go check out the cave? Is she too young to be exploring on her own or is this cave much more dangerous than I think it is?” Your question hangs in the air for a few seconds, as if Slate is debating on how to word his answer. “Umm, no,” he finally ansers. “She is actually sixteen years old, it’s just that we’d never send her out to investigate something like this. We don’t know if the cave’s dangerous, but something is definitely amiss up there.” His answer seems genuine, so you thank the elderly couple, leaving the hut to start out on this unusual adventure. As the cloth door falls over your shoulder, you can hear Slate’s voice call forth: “May Pele watch over and guide you on your quest.”

His words send a faint chill through your body as you set off towards the back of the village. Unfurling the rolled-up map, you see a faint red ‘X’ imprinted at the base of Mt. Ceniza, as Galina had said. By looking at the distance from the ‘X’ to the tiny houses etched on the parchment, it looks like the cave’s a mile or two north of your present location. Adjusting your traveling direction accordingly, you set off down a side path that branches away from Slate’s hut. Signs of abandonment are clear in this part of the village, for many of the cottage’s doors stand wide open or aren’t even there at all. Inside you can view grimy, dilapidated objects: chairs, tables, boxes, even some rotten food. A movement out of one of these very huts catches your eye as you walk past it. Suddenly, a Spearow darts out of the doorway, flying straight towards you. It pecks at your hands and face, causing you to drop the map. Cawing delightedly, the dastardly quick bird leaps down, grabs the parchment, and starts to fly away! “Great job, Spearow!” a voice calls a few houses ahead. Looking up, you see a girl running alongside the flying bird. A shock of red hair tops her head. Your map has just been stolen!

How will you respond?

Myrrh slowly made his way out of the village, his mind filled with even more questions despite getting some answers. "Pele, who's Pele?" Myrrh said to himself quietly. "I wonder why they were so cautious about their granddaughter? Sure, she might be the only one they have left besides themselves, but if she were a capable pokemon trainer she might have been able to do something about.....this." He continued to quietly ponder his thoughts to himself as he saw more of the village, It was hard to look at in its current state. "Oh!, Pele is the Goddess these people worship....huh?"

Myrrh suddenly noticed the Spearow come at him from a hut, but he couldn't react in time. His hands and face get pecked and he drops his map as a result. He notices a red-headed girl start to run off with the Spearow with his map. "Aw, dammit! Quick, come on out Scout!" His Houndour materializes before him, she looks rather happy, like it wants to play. But there is no time for that. "C'mon Scout!" Myrrh starts to take off as soon as he has her attention, Scout quickly follows behind. "They took our map, we need to go after them, hurry!" The boy and his dog were now trying to catch up to the girl and her bird.

Questions plague your thoughts upon seeing the fire dog roar. How could a cavern thousands of years old contain a Pokémon ready and willing to fight? Dismissing the question for a later time, you focus on the matter at hand. “Theta,” you call through the microphone, “stay off to the side and get a good view of the area. Echo, it’s time to battle. Let’s see if we can end this quick.” The Bronzor listens to your commands, then shoots forth a wave of Hypnosis towards the regal Arcanine. It seems it was expecting something along these lines, for the fire-type manages to barely dodge the Hypnosis by putting on a burst of Extremespeed. The Arcanine zooms and feints this way and that before jumping straight up in the air above Echo. Flames surround the canine as it Wheels back to the earth, hitting the Bronzor head-on. Thanks to its Heatproof ability, the damage from the fire-type attack is weakened, although pain still races through the steel-type’s innards. You yell encouragements through the microphone upon seeing the effectiveness of this particular ability, realizing it was a very smart choice to include Echo on this expedition.

Not stopping there, Echo retaliates with an Extrasensory. A golden beam of psychic energy coalesces around the steel-type before it’s propelled a few yards towards the Arcanine. It tries to dodge this attack like before but fails to do so in time. The psychic attack knocks the Pokémon back a few feet further. Taking advantage of this time of weakness, Echo follows through with an Ancient Power, summoning forth a few rocks and boulders that fly towards the Arcanine. Growling in anger, the fire-type defends itself by using its Iron Tail to smash many of the rocks. It fails to smash all of the rocks in time, for one manages to knock the Pokémon off its feet. The battle has only just begun, and it appears that both sides are even… for now.

What’s your next move?

Alex gave a little grunt as the Hypnosis failed. Of course it wouldn't be that easy. The miss left an opening for the fire type to charge in and ram Echo while surrounded by flames. "Come on Echo, you can take it!" he cheered. He was glad for the steel type's resistance to fire, coupled with its natural levitation pretty much gave it no weaknesses. While ones without the Heatproof ability were more attuned with levitation, survivablity, he thought, fit the species more.

Alex continued watching as the golden wave of psychic energy struck the Arcanine, followed by an Ancient Power, though some of the rocks were blocked by the Iron Tail. It wasn't a bad start, but they had to put on a lot of pressure in order to win. "Echo,Confuse Ray. If it gives you a clear shot, use Ancient Power. If not, hit it with Extrasensory. Follow up with a Shadow Ball."

As the Bronzor went to follow his orders, Alex felt tempted to call out some orders to Theta, or even get Phi in there. It would be much easier if everyone ganged up on it, though with his Magnemite's electricity useless and Phi's inexperiance and the fact that he would have to teleport to get in there made the thought pointless. Echo would just have to hang in there and get this done.

Update Set 1: Watch out for Flames!

Just like to say hello everyone, my name is Blaze, although Joe is also good, and I am the new ZA at Cortoza Island. Welcome one and all to my updating fun show! So far, I am taking coolz8 and darksearchman, though, I have room for four more. Have fun!

Mt. SenicaCinder VillageCoolz8

You try to find some Pokemon in the water by throwing rocks into the water. The rocks hit the water, dispelling the ash and showing the water's oddly clar nature. You think about how the murkiness must have only been an ash layer deep, and find bigger and bigger rocks to throw in the water. You clutch a rather large rock that makes you stagger, and go to throw it into the water, when a hand clutches your arm and squeezes it. You squeak from the mystery person's grip, and you turn your head back to see who this person is. He is a man, who easily has a foot or maybe even two over you and has a definite weight advantage. With a stubby beard and rather muscular arms, he reminds you a bit of a lumberjack. Behind him is a Golurk, a Pokemon who lurks(harharhar) over you. You are unsure which to be more afraid of.

"Now listen here kid. You better pay attention and you better pay good too, because there is no refunds. Now, what is God's tarnation makes you think that throwing rocks into the hot spring was a good idea? People come into this hot spring all the time. Imagine if you hit one of them with one of these rocks. You could have hurt someone, hell, even killed them if you were an unlucky kid. What exactly were you planning on?" You tell him that you were just throwing the rocks to try and get some Pokemon. "Oh really? Well, truthfully kid, I dont believe you at all. I think that you need to come with me so we can sort out what you can do for punishment." You were confused and scared about the whole thing, but more scared about what this punishment could be. He draggs you along a trail that leads away from the hotspring.

At the top of the trail is the bathrooms that were put here for people who wanted to use the bathroom and not go in the hot springs. "Now, wait here. No funny business either, or, Cassius here is going to give you a rude knock on the head." The man left, and the Golurk moved over your field of vision, grumbling ominously as it makes sure you know what's what. You nod your head yes, and it stops. The man comes out a second later with a couple of mops and a bucket. "Alright kid, here is what you have to do. You need to wash the bathrooms. You have got everything you need here, and I want to see that bathroom sparkling so much I can't see my reflection. You got that?" You nod your head yes, grimacing over what you had to do. "Alright, you can bring a Pokemon in their with you if you want. And no trying to run away either, alright?"

What will you do?

Mt. InfernusScenic WalkDark Searchman

Your Seviper Amethyst and your Druddigon Sarkahn seem more than ready to go adventuring, and all three of you start going up the trail. The walk is a long one, but is not short of sights to see and things to gawk at. As you climb a set of stairs that were carved out of the native rock, you notice a flock of Wingull below you, too far to reach, but their flying is beautiful and reassures you that there are Pokemon around here. Sarkahn notices a rock that kind of looks like him, and roars happily. You guys are having a pretty good time here, when you notice something in the bushes near you. It rustles with a loud noise, and Amethyst comes close to it, hissing and wagging its rear end ready to pounce. It launched itself at the bushes...only to come out, screaming and hissing. Pieces of his hide is steaming, and he is hissing violently. Seems his attack did little.

Out comes a little Larvesta, steamed himself about being attacked. He also seems not to fear either the large snake nor the dragon, and makes this known by TAKING DOWN Sarkahn, causing him to flip back and roar in pain. He then goes after Amethyst, launching a furious EMBER his way, causing the snake to his and shrink back from the flames. The little tyke seems more than ready to battle you, though, it seems to have been stalking you the entire time.

Just like to say hello everyone, my name is Blaze, although Joe is also good, and I am the new ZA at Cortoza Island. Welcome one and all to my updating fun show! So far, I am taking coolz8 and darksearchman, though, I have room for four more. Have fun!

Mt. InfernusScenic WalkDark Searchman

Your Seviper Amethyst and your Druddigon Sarkahn seem more than ready to go adventuring, and all three of you start going up the trail. The walk is a long one, but is not short of sights to see and things to gawk at. As you climb a set of stairs that were carved out of the native rock, you notice a flock of Wingull below you, too far to reach, but their flying is beautiful and reassures you that there are Pokemon around here. Sarkahn notices a rock that kind of looks like him, and roars happily. You guys are having a pretty good time here, when you notice something in the bushes near you. It rustles with a loud noise, and Amethyst comes close to it, hissing and wagging its rear end ready to pounce. It launched itself at the bushes...only to come out, screaming and hissing. Pieces of his hide is steaming, and he is hissing violently. Seems his attack did little.

Out comes a little Larvesta, steamed himself about being attacked. He also seems not to fear either the large snake nor the dragon, and makes this known by TAKING DOWN Sarkahn, causing him to flip back and roar in pain. He then goes after Amethyst, launching a furious EMBER his way, causing the snake to his and shrink back from the flames. The little tyke seems more than ready to battle you, though, it seems to have been stalking you the entire time.

What will you do?

Hyrem and his reptiles were really enjoying the scenery around here. Plenty of sights of the other mountains, the lush forests below... oh, and the flock of tasty Wingull that was too far out of reach for either the snake or the dragon, much to their chagrin. For Hyrem, it meant there were definitely some Pokemon here to look for, and just seeing the Wingull in flight lifted his spirits. Later on, they saw a jagged looking rock... it looked strangely like Sarkhan. He was elated by this, and he gave out a happy roar before posing beside it. "Hahahaha, what a ham you are, Sarkhan!" Hyrem laughed alongside Amethyst's hissing giggle. He took a picture of it with the camera on his Pokedex; that would be a keeper to show Connor sometime.

Further down the path- a rustle comes from the bushes. That was a dinner bell for Amethyst. She could definitely taste something in there, and she hissed a warning to Sarkhan; this meal was all hers. She slithers in close, her tail waving from side to side in excitement and her neck craning back, ready to strike at the hidden prey. Finally, she lashes out into the bushes to grab some free food...

"SAAAAAAH!" she shrieks as she recoils back, hissing in pain and anger. Her coils also looked singed a little; whatever was in there was apparently too hot to handle and swallow easily.

Then it revealed itself, and at first Hyrem didn't really know what it was. Then it dawned on him. "No way..." he said dumbfounded. "It... can't be!" He takes out his Pokedex to confirm his suspicions:

Larvesta, the Torch Pokemon. Legend tells of eggs being shot down to the earth from the sun and hatching into these Pokemon. They live at the base of volcanoes, whether active or dormant, and they will shoot fire from their horns to ward off predators or intruders. They evolve into Volcarona by enveloping themselves in a flaming cocoon where the internal temperature is said to reach 5000 degrees Celsius.

This was it! A Larvesta! Hyrem figured there were rare Pokemon here on Mt. Infernus, but he never thought he'd encounter something this rare. Capturing a Larvesta was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and he wasn't about to let this chance pass him by! "Ohhhh, this Pokemon has got to be mine! Amethyst, I know what you're thinking right now, but no, you are NOT going to eat this one. I plan on capturing this guy, do I make myself clear?" Amethyst looked back towards him with an astonished hiss. Catch this one!? But it tried to burn her! She was NOT going to let that go unpunished!

Larvesta then proved itself to be even more feisty by Taking Sarkhan Down a notch with its reckless ram into him, causing the Druddigon to reel back for a moment and roar in pain. Man, willing to take recoil from its Take Down attack AND make contact with Sarkhan's Rough Skin? {you may want to take that into account if you haven't, Blaze} That's double reckless! And then he had the nerve to shoot some Embers at Amethyst, causing her to shy away from the small flames and hiss vulgar obscenities towards the sun moth larva. Something told Hyrem that this bug was more than ready for this; it was preparing for this to happen, even following the threesome around! It wanted to make its presence known, daring the reptiles to make a move against him. What a bold Pokemon! Hyrem wanted this Larvesta even more now, and right now, his Pokemon looked like they were actually shying away from it.

Both of them stop and look back towards Hyrem with deadly stares. That snapped them out of it for sure!

"Ah eh heh heh, I guess not!" he chuckles nervously before regaining his composure. "Now, are we going to take this lying down, or are we gonna accept this bug's challenge!?"

"DRUUUUUUD!" Sarkhan roars confidently.

"HAAAAAAA!" Amethyst hisses vehemently.

"That's what I thought!" Hyrem shouts out. "Now let's synch up and battle! Both of you start off with a Scary Face and let him know you guys aren't Pokemon to take lightly! Then we'll go on the attack! Amethyst, use Aqua Tail for the type advantage while Sarkhan Cuts it down to size!" Larvesta may have been ready for a fight, but so were Hyrem's two reptiles. And it was two against one, they'd have this battle in the bag... right?

The constant heat seeping up through Cortoza's volcanic soil has given the island a distinct tropical feel, a vast and winding rainforest taking up a large percentage of the land's mass and surrounding each of Cortoza's mountains. The rainforest is humid and full of life, but also very dangerous. The ground is unstable in certain areas making hiking through the forest dangerous even for the most experienced of guides. Several patches of arid, rocky land dot the island, where no vegetation will grow, and it's there that some of the strongest and most fearsome Pokémon roam.

Ignatius River: Flowing from the base of Mt. Infernus and winding throughout the island before eventually flowing into the sea, the Ignatius River is a popular destination for travellers who wish to picnic by its banks, or take a dip after a long day of hiking. Many wild Pokémon can be found wandering around here, and most are rather friendly as they've become accustomed to seeing humans wandering along the shore.

The sound of trickling water is considered by most to be quite soothing. It was for Lass El too, despite her phobia, something she was highly grateful for. No matter where she went, she was always attracted to aquatic environments. Not that she dared entertain the thought of taking a dip. For starters, she hadn't brought her bathers. And, well, the memories...

Bah, she was thinking about that again. No she was here to have fun! Explore! She was on a volcanic island for whatever deity you so choose's sake! The sky was clear, the breeze was pleasant and it was the kind of day where you could just run with no goal in mind. The variety of life around was so different to that around the small town she'd grown up in, she couldn't wait to see some of it. Toss aside the fear because it's pointless, useless. Besides, she was far from alone and if worst comes to worst

Uh

She looked over at her spearow, who she'd let out to have some R&R. The TinyBird pokemon was hopping around happily, something in the grass seemed to have caught her attention. Peck peck hop peck, she was maybe getting a little chubby. Shame that most exersise routines for flying tpes involved, well, flying.

"Having fun there Sparow?"

"Spea!" She flapped wildly, though not hard enough to get off the ground.

"What do you say to going for a jog?"

Sparow looked at her legs, then at El's as if she was increadulous that the human thought she could keep up.

"Alright, alright, I'll walk. But I won't stop for you, you need the exersise." At that, El took off at a brisk pace heading upstream. Sparow hopped as fast as she could just to keep up. Everything seemed to be wonderful, and both of them felt like it was going to be a great day.

The second largest of Cortoza's mountains, Mt. Infernus is now extinct. Many Pokémon have made their homes within the vast network of tunnels and caverns deep within the mountain, and aren't all that accustomed to seeing people. It's become the primary breeding ground for many of the rarer Pokémon who tend to shy away from humans, and due to the protective nature of the parent Pokémon, quite a hazardous area to traverse.

Areas:The Rock Pool: Deep, deep, deep, within the bowels of Mt. Infernus there is rumoured to be a secluded water-filled chamber where extremely rare and ancient Pokémon dwell. Some even say that Pokémon have mutated over the centuries to create new breeds, never before seen in the land of Fizzy Bubbles. This has never been confirmed or denied, as those who have stumbled across this chamber have never been able to defeat the Pokémon they've encountered, let alone capture them. When told to bring proof of their existence, those who have tried to return to the chamber have never been able to find it again. Who knows? If you're lucky, you may just stumble across it...

Bill could not believe that he was headed back to Cortoza Island after his last encounter, which did not end well at all for him. Although this time he was not going to Mt. Pele, he was headed to Mt. Infernus to look for evidence of a mysterious place. Mt. Infernus was already a place of great dangers and excitement from the rarer Pokemon about, but for him, he was in it for the adventure. Accompanying the trainer was a Pokemon he felt comfortable traveling with in this region, Shelly his Kabutops. The volcano itself was thankfully extinct, which meant that Bill could more easily roam this area without any volcanic eruption making bad situations go worse, and his luck led him to things like that. Good for adrenaline he supposed, but not good for his health. He decided that the first thing he needed to do was find a cave that entered into the mountain and try his luck from there, even if this Rock Pool didn't exist, there was sure to be some secret he could unlock from the mountain's bowels. The anticipation just made him excited.

"Well, here we are," Bill said as they came to the base of Mt. Infernus. He turned to his Kabutops, who was enthralled by the mountain's 'beauty'. It's normally small pupils widened at the very site of this place, she was visibly taken in. Even though he could tell this, Bill still asked, "You ready, Shelly?" The Kabutops just nodded her head as she looked at her trainer. "All right then, let's head onward."

In the heat, lies the things you are searching for...

I hereby welcome LASL and CyberBlastoise into my group. This leaves room for TWO more people. Hop on so you can have some fun!

Mt. InfernusScenic WalkDark Searchman

You take notice on how reckless that Larvesta really is, and how it is actually scaring your Pokemon off. A Pokemon with that fiesty of a nature is a sure rarity, and coupled with the already rare nature of the Pokemon, you have to have this one. Both your Seviper and you Druddigon look ready for battle at you give them a little bit of introductory pep talk. They start off by glaring hard at the Larvesta, giving it the most intimidating and SCARY FACE they can give. Larvesta looks a little on edge, but his innate confidence and his brazen nature means he doesn't take the full effect of each one. But, his speed is lowered a little bit. Larvesta knows about the specialty of this move, and immediately cloaks himself in FLAMEs. He CHARGEs after Seviper, who looks a little frightened himself about the closing in flaming missile. He is able to dodge some of it, but his own large size gets to better of him, the Larvesta hits him on the end of the tail, doing some nice damage and increasing Larvesta's speed, overcoming the past attack. Amethyst looks at the bug again and hisses at it, maybe like some sort of warning or signal. His sort of singed tail becomes covered in a cloak of water, before the Seviper spins around and smacks Larvesta with the sharp end of the tail "LARRRRRRRVVVVESSSSSTAAAA!!!" it screams as it gets smacked around by Seviper's tail, being pushed over towards Sarkahn, your Druddigon. Druddigon takes the cue, and lowers his hand to the ground, white energy covering it, before he swings it upright, catching the Larvesta mid air for a powerful CUT. Larvest yells again as the pain hits it, and it looks to Sarkhan with revenge in its eyes. Larvesta breathes in before releasing a loud bunch of orange sound waves, with hit Sarkahn's ears and cause him to groan as the buggy energy rattles his ear drums.

At the end of this climatic battle scene, it seems that while both Amethyst and Sarkahn took some damage, they are still felling pretty well. The Larvesta seems to be bruised and beaten, but is nowhere close to breaking or giving up. You got quite a fight on your hands here!

What will you do?

The IslandIgnatius RiverLASL

Your fears about drowning in the water and your doubts on Spearow's condition may have been disquieting and distracting at first, but you soon quickly find out that as long as you focus on the scenery, you are going to do just fine. You enjoy looking at all the mountains and trees and people. Many people have come by here to picnic and have a good time. People are also playing in the river, though, it doesn't fill you envy. You understand your fears and have a healthy respect for them. You mindlessly walk around, looking at the scenery, when you crash right into a woman's chest. You blush for a moment before backing away, and see that the woman was dressed in a very formal dress, hardly the clothes for the weather on the island. She had a parasol on her right arm and a Oriental fan on her left, and was also busy looking at the scenery not too notice you, though, she wasn't walking either.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry madame. It seems that I didn't notice that you were there and accidentally bumped into you." You get kind of confused at first, but realize she is only trying to be polite. You kindly explain that it was you who knocked into her and that you were sorry for what you had done. "Oh no madame, or is it mademoiselle? I can't quite remember my French. Truthfully, it is actually a blessing that you came along. See, my adorable little Gulpin, Vacuum, had gone missing on the river, and I am trying to look for him all over. I haven't been able to find him, though Lord knows that with his green color he might just blend in with the foliage perfectly. If you could spare some time for me, could you help me look for my little Vacuum?"

What will you do?

Mt. InfernusThe Rock PoolCyberBlastoise

You have for some reason come back to Cortoza Island again, despite your last time being hardly what one would consider a success. With you is your faithful Kabutops Shelly, who at the moment in enthralled with the mountain's natural beauty. And who wouldn't be? The mountain is tall and majestic, and covered in lush mountains where plants and animals live in harmony. It is truly a beautiful place, and the fact that you are not going to take it in is kind of sad really. But, you came here for one reason, and that ws to find the fabled Rock Pool, a place where it is said that ancient Pokemon dwell that is nigh impossible to find. You have your suspicions, but, you know in your gut it exists. All you have to do know is to find it. You turn to Shelly and ask her if she might have any idea where the cave might be, being an ancient Pokemon herself and all, but she can't remember even hearing about the place, let alone knowing where it is. After a quick sigh, you start to trek up one of the trails.

The jungle is lush at some parts and would be nigh impossible to travel through for most people, but you have the trusty scythes of your Kabutops to slice through the thickest brush. Shelly clears the path for you while you keep a mental track of where you are going, because if you are ever going to find your way back, you are going to need a good idea where the cave. Suddenly, Shelly stops, and turns around, She nods with her head to look over her, and what you see is startling. There is a massive barren section in the forest, with a sign right in the middle of it. You waste no time going over to reach the sign, which appears to be faded and worn out at a far distance. However, as you get closer to the sign, you see that it becomes newer and newer until it looks like it was just posted yesterday. Puzzled by the strange phenomenon, you look at the sign for clues on what it says.

In a cave far down
Lies a stone unturned
A color like a goose's gown
And a home that is undisturbed

It shows the tragedy of the island
In one simple look
Because something washed over the island
And left the stone in a live nook

Now it has grown big and round
For all those to gather around
In the humble flesh of a shell
It lives and grows each day.

It seems like some sort of riddle, but you aren't sure. You are not even sure how to answer the riddle, and Shelly offers no advice.

I hereby welcome LASL and CyberBlastoise into my group. This leaves room for TWO more people. Hop on so you can have some fun!

The IslandIgnatius RiverLASL

Your fears about drowning in the water and your doubts on Spearow's condition may have been disquieting and distracting at first, but you soon quickly find out that as long as you focus on the scenery, you are going to do just fine. You enjoy looking at all the mountains and trees and people. Many people have come by here to picnic and have a good time. People are also playing in the river, though, it doesn't fill you envy. You understand your fears and have a healthy respect for them. You mindlessly walk around, looking at the scenery, when you crash right into a woman's chest. You blush for a moment before backing away, and see that the woman was dressed in a very formal dress, hardly the clothes for the weather on the island. She had a parasol on her right arm and a Oriental fan on her left, and was also busy looking at the scenery not too notice you, though, she wasn't walking either.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry madame. It seems that I didn't notice that you were there and accidentally bumped into you." You get kind of confused at first, but realize she is only trying to be polite. You kindly explain that it was you who knocked into her and that you were sorry for what you had done. "Oh no madame, or is it mademoiselle? I can't quite remember my French. Truthfully, it is actually a blessing that you came along. See, my adorable little Gulpin, Vacuum, had gone missing on the river, and I am trying to look for him all over. I haven't been able to find him, though Lord knows that with his green color he might just blend in with the foliage perfectly. If you could spare some time for me, could you help me look for my little Vacuum?"

What will you do?

"O-on the river? As in, actually in the water?" Lass El couldn't help but clam up slightly. No, no, not gonna fall for that it's too nice a day to scramble up a tree and cry (oh deity that had been so embarasing). She shook her head before really thinking, simply trying to clear her mind. It then clicked that she had probably just accidentally refused the lady she ran into. Oh, what was it she wanted? To find her Gulpin. Green, stomach with not much else. Yes, El knew what they were, she could see what the lady meant by the camoflage. Couldn't understand the adorable part either, but that was coming from a girl who dreams of hugging goldeen and shellos. "Of course I'll help you! It's only fair after I walked into you." Okay now what um um, "Just, I probably won't be able to help if he fell in the water, I, uh, I forgot my bathers." That's it, she couldn't bring herself to admit that she'd come to a place where people liked to swim despite being deathly afraid of doing so herself. "Oh, and Sparow here isn't too great of a flyer, so she won't be able to help from the sky. She still has some keen eyes though, she'll probably be a good deal of help."

Speaking of the bird, she'd managed to flit up to El's shoulder, about as high as she could go without freaking out. "This is Sparow by the way, say hello to the nice lady!" Sparow chirped happily. "I'm technically Lass El, but I'm not much of a lass so just call me El. What's you name?"

Apollo listens intently to your orders, cawing quickly to let you know he understands. Suddenly a strong wind picks up, causing the plain grass to shake. The Donphan finds that the sand in his eyes is now nearly gone from the heavy gale…

Not wanting to waste any more time, Apollo summons the Grass energy inside of his body, and unleashes this Hidden Power in the form of bright-green orbs. The spheres of light rocket towards the Donphan; it bellows loudly as it sees the incoming attack. “Quick, Donphan,” Zaire calls from afar, noticing that his Pokémon’s accuracy has been restored. “Use your own Ancient Power to intercept the Combusken’s attack. Then go in close for an Iron Tail, followed by a Slam.” Rocks and boulders strewn across the plain rise up as the Donphan obeys its trainer’s command, launching them towards the orbs of energy. The impact of the two attacks sends a rumble through the air. Much of the rocks shatter upon impact with the Grass-type move, which leaves the field wide open for the remainder of the Hidden Power to deal its damage. A few orbs make contact with the elephant, opening up the wounds that the Donphan had sustained from the earlier Will-O-Wisp. Biting back the pain, Donphan rushes forward as Apollo begins to Swords Dance. It looks like the Ancient Power had an interesting side effect on the elephant Pokémon’s speed! Just as Apollo finishes his move boosting his attack, the Donphan side-swipes the fire type with its steel-hardened tail, pushing him back a few yards. Taking advantage of the closeness, Apollo jumps up into the air with a Bounce as the Donphan slams into his lower torso, causing the Combusken to get off-balance and fall to the ground. As the dust from all of the attacks clear, you can see that both combatants are panting pretty heavily. The Donphan winces as the burn continues to take its course. It looks like Donphan’s health is a little lower than Apollo’s, although Apollo’s energy use is beginning to drain quickly as well. The battle can turn in anyone’s favor.

What will you do next?

As the next set of orders are given, Apollo gives a loud caw as he surrounds himself in multiple green orbs of energy. The orbs soar towards the ground elephant as he responds by raising the rocks near him off the ground and fly into the orbs. A majority of the Hidden Power gets shattered by the rock move, but luckily a couple orbs still hit their mark on Trunphan's burns. A grin meets Charm's face, "Not bad."

Apollo then initiates the next order, boosting his attack by with a dance of swordsmanship. Trunphan doesn't like the look of this and begins speeding towards the Young Fowl, a stat boost from his earlier Ancient Power further powering him, as he spins around and smacks Apollo with an Iron Tail. "Oof. Atleast, you resisted that one bro."

The young Combusken shakes off the blow, and starts to bounce upward, until a quick Slam to his lower half knocks him off balance and falling over. Some dust blows over as Apollo stands up once again, looking quite tired at this moment.

"Hang in there, Apollo! Let's try to take it a bit easy while capitalizing on your attack boost ..." Charm contemplates on what he should say, "Alright. Give a Crush Claw onto his opened burns! Then a nice Cross Fire for more scorching pain!" Charm orders out, giving a slightly evil grin. Battling brings out the devil in Charm indeed.